A complementary DNA encoding a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase homolog has been isolated from tobacco plants. Transcripts of the corresponding gene were not observed in healthy tobacco leaves but began to accumulate 1 minute after mechanical wounding. In tobacco plants transformed with the cloned complementary DNA, trans inactivation of the endogenous homologous gene occurred, and both production of wound-induced jasmonic acid and accumulation of wound-inducible gene transcripts were inhibited. In contrast, the levels of salicylic acid and transcripts for pathogen-inducible, acidic pathogenesis-related proteins were increased upon wounding. These results indicate that this MAP kinase is part of the initial response of higher plants to mechanical wounding.

The plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA) plays a key role in the environmental stress responses and developmental processes of plants. Although ATMYC2/JASMONATE-INSENSITIVE1 (JIN1) is a major positive regulator of JA-inducible gene expression and essential for JA-dependent developmental processes in Arabidopsis thaliana, molecular mechanisms underlying the control of ATMYC2/JIN1 expression remain largely unknown. Here, we identify a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, MAPK KINASE 3 (MKK3)–MAPK 6 (MPK6), which is activated by JA in Arabidopsis. We also show that JA negatively controls ATMYC2/JIN1 expression, based on quantitative RT-PCR and genetic analyses using gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutants of the MKK3–MPK6 cascade. These results indicate that this kinase unit plays a key role in JA-dependent negative regulation of ATMYC2/JIN1 expression. Both positive and negative regulation by JA may be used to fine-tune ATMYC2/JIN1 expression to control JA signaling. Moreover, JA-regulated root growth inhibition is affected by mutations in the MKK3–MPK6 cascade, which indicates important roles in JA signaling. We provide a model explaining how MPK6 can convert three distinct signals—JA, pathogen, and cold/salt stress—into three different sets of responses in Arabidopsis.

Salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) are essential compounds in the pathogen- and wound-signaling pathways accompanying induced expression of acidic and basic pathogenesis-related (PR) protein genes, respectively. However, on the effect of exogenously supplied SA and JA in induction of PR gene expression, conflicting results have been obtained using various plant materials at different developmental stages. There is no clear evidence on these effects in the presence of both signals at the same time. We analyzed the effect of SA on wound- and JA-induced basic PR gene expression and that of JA on SA-induced acidic Pi? gene expression in mature tobacco leaves. Wound-induced accumulation of transcripts for all 4 basic PR genes tested was enhanced in the presence of MeJA, and inhibited in the presence of SA. On the other hand, expression of all 3 acidic PR genes tested was induced by SA and was inhibited by MeJA. Using antibodies raised against acidic PR-1 and PR-2 proteins, these effects were confirmed at the protein level. These results indicated that JA works as an inducer of basic PR genes, and also as an inhibitor for acidic PR genes, while SA does the opposite.

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins have been used as markers of plant defense responses, and are classified into 17 families. However, precise information on the majority members in specific PR families is still limited. We were interested in the individual characteristics of rice PR1 family genes, and selected 12 putatively active genes using rice genome databases for expressed genes. All were upregulated upon compatible and/or incompatible rice-blast fungus interactions; three were upregulated in the early infection period and four in the late infection period. Upon compatible rice–bacterial blight interaction, four genes were upregulated, six were not affected, and one was downregulated. These results are in striking contrast to those among 22 Arabidopsis PR1 genes where only one gene was pathogen-inducible. The responses of individual genes to salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene induced defense signaling pathways in rice are likely to be different from those in dicot plants. Transcript levels in healthy leaves, roots, and flowers varied according to each gene. Analysis of the partially overlapping expression patterns of rice PR1 genes in healthy tissues and in response to pathogens and other stresses would be useful to understand their possible functions and for use as characteristic markers for defense-related studies in rice.

A gene encoding a tobacco mitogen-activated protein kinase (WIPK) is transcriptionally activated in response to wounding. Transgenic tobacco plants, in which expression of endogenous wipk was suppressed, did not accumulate jasmonic acid or its methyl ester when wounded, suggesting that WIPK is involved in jasmonate-mediated wound signal transduction. Here, we demonstrate that activation of WIPK is required for triggering the jasmonate-mediated signal transduction cascade that occurs when wild-type tobacco plants are wounded. We also show that when plants are wounded, WIPK is rapidly and transiently activated, whereas the quantity of WIPK protein is maintained at a constant level. A transgenic tobacco plant in which the wipk gene was constitutively expressed at a high level showed constitutive enzymatic activation of WIPK and exhibited three- to fourfold higher levels of jasmonate than did its wild-type counterpart. This plant also showed constitutive accumulation of jasmonate-inducible proteinase inhibitor II transcripts. These results show that WIPK is activated in response to wounding, which subsequently causes an increase in jasmonate synthesis.

The role of ethylene (ET) in resistance to infection with blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea) in rice (Oryza sativa) is poorly understood. To study it, we quantified ET levels after inoculation, using young rice plants at the four-leaf stage of rice cv Nipponbare (wild type) and its isogenic plant (IL7), which contains the Pi-i resistance gene to blast fungus race 003. Small necrotic lesions by hypersensitive reaction (HR) were formed at 42 to 72 h postinoculation (hpi) in resistant IL7 leaves, and whitish expanding lesions at 96 hpi in susceptible wild-type leaves. Notable was the enhanced ET emission at 48 hpi accompanied by increased 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) levels and highly elevated ACC oxidase (ACO) activity in IL7 leaves, whereas only an enhanced ACC increase at 96 hpi in wild-type leaves. Among six ACC synthase (ACS) and seven ACO genes found in the rice genome, OsACS2 was transiently expressed at 48 hpi in IL7 and at 96 hpi in wild type, and OsACO7 was expressed at 48 hpi in IL7. Treatment with an inhibitor for ACS, aminooxyacetic acid, suppressed enhanced ET emission at 48 hpi in IL7, resulting in expanding lesions instead of HR lesions. Exogenously supplied ACC compromised the aminooxyacetic acid-induced breakdown of resistance in IL7, and treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene and silver thiosulfate, inhibitors of ET action, did not suppress resistance. These findings suggest the importance of ET biosynthesis and, consequently, the coproduct, cyanide, for HR-accompanied resistance to blast fungus in young rice plants and the contribution of induced OsACS2 and OsACO7 gene expression to it.